Rochdale 3 (McArdle 49, Le Fondre 56 pen, 74 pen) Bradford 0 – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

McArdle celebrates his opener.

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Rochdale dominated the second half against Bradford and overtook the Yorkshire club to move back into the League Two automatic promotion places.

Goals from Rory McArdle, a glancing header, and two penalties from top scorer Adam Le Fondre got Dale back to winning ways following consecutive defeats last week.

The sides went into the half time break goalless but there was plenty of goalmouth action in an exciting opening period at Spotland.

The home side started brightly and came close through a couple of Lee Thorpe headers and then an Adam Le Fondre flick at the near post.

The visitors came into things as the half wore on and twice Peter Thorne should have given Bradford the lead, twice drawing fine saves from Frank Fielding when through on the Dale keeper.

Dale started proceedings brightly and Mark Jones, brought in from the cold for the game by Dale boss Keith Hill, hit a couple of stinging early drives that would surely have tested Rhys Evans had they not first been deflected.

A couple of corners also brought chances for the home side, the best of which fell to Lee Thorpe, a free header, gathered by Evans at the second attempt.

Rochdale continued the early pressure and Rory McArdle, back in the side for Simon Ramsden, came close from another corner, connecting from Jones’ kick on the half volley and drilling narrowly wide of the upright.

Adam Le Fondre was next on the Dale chance list, getting ahead of his marker to try and flick Tom Kennedy’s excellent ball in at the near post. Evans did well to claw the ball out for a corner.

The corners kept on coming for the home side, with seven in the first 20 minutes, and Thorpe rose highest from another to nod just wide of the back stick.

The game was more than half an hour old before Bradford crafted a chance but it was the chance of the game as Peter Thorne strode clear of McArdle’s challenge to go in on goal. Frank Fielding sprinted from his line to narrow the angle and then saved superbly, blocking Thorne’s low drive. The Bradford striker must have known he should have given his side the opener.

The visitors began to get a grip on proceedings and at one point it looked as though Dale might pay for not converting their early dominance.

Thorne had another great chance as the half drew to a close. For the first time in all the time Fielding has been at Rochdale, the goalkeeper chose not to come for a long ball into his box and Thorne was in the clear. The Blackburn loan man atoned for his error superbly, tipping Thorne’s shot around the post.

The final chance of the half came Dale’s way as, for at least the fifth time in the half Will Buckley beat his full back with ease, but fired his drive wide of the near post from a tight angle.

Rochdale manager Keith Hill was going ballistic at his backline as Dale almost made a disastrous start to the second half. Graeme Lee was given the freedom of the penalty area from a corner and his header brought a wonderful save from Fielding on the line before McArdle could clear.

Dale survived to score the opener for themselves. Buckley was brought down by Joe Colbeck and McArdle rose highest from Jones’ excellent ball in to glance Dale into the lead.

The home side doubled their advantage from the penalty spot as Barry Conlon was adjudged to have handled Joe Thompson’s header from a Jones corner. The protests went on long and hard from the Bradford striker but Le Fondre composed himself and somehow his spot kick, smashed down the middle, hit the top corner via Evans’ shoulder.

The home side enjoyed a fifteen minute period after the second goal during which they were completely untouchable. They camped in the Bradford half and the visitors began to lose their heads. Two awful tackles went in on Buckley and Tom Kennedy and Bradford manager Stuart McCall was forced to take Paul Arnison off before he was sent off because Buckley had him on toast.

The spell of total dominance brought Dale’s third. Again it came in controversial circumstances but it was no more than the home side deserved. Matt Clarke piled wholeheartedly into a tackle on Le Fondre in the box. It was wreckless from Clarke, but the defender got something of the ball, but it didn’t stop the referee from pointing to the spot for the second time.

Le Fondre’s second penalty was much more convincing than the first, second Evans the wrong way to cap a fine evening for Dale.

Bradford frustrations continued to grow and when substitute Zesh Rehman reduced Buckley by the touch line things spilled over in the dugouts. The Bradford assistant had to be restrained from getting at Dale counterpart Dave Flitcroft before the referee could intervene and send the Bradford man to the stands.

There was one last moment to put a gloss on the evening for Dale and that was the substitution of Buckley in injury time. Every Rochdale fan to a man stood and applauded the young winger after giving Bradford the run around throughout the evening.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Kennedy (Ramsden 84), McArdle, Stanton, Jones, Keltie, Thompson, Buckley (Adams 90), Thorpe (McEvilly 80), Le Fondre.
Subs (not used): Russell, Flitcroft.

Booked: Jones, McArdle, Thorpe. 

Bradford: Evans, Arnison (Rehman 71), O’Brien, Lee, Clarke, Colbeck (Bullock 57), Furman, Law, Jones, Conlon (Boulding 57), Thorne.
Subs (not used): Nix, Convey.

Booked: Colbeck, Arnison, Furman, Law.

Attempts (on target): Rochdale 10 (7) Bradford 5 (4)
Free kicks: Rochdale 19 Bradford 23
Offside: Rochdale 3 Bradford 5
Corners: Rochdale 11 Bradford 5